Lamp standard



Sept. 19, 1933*. J. H. BOYE 1,927,485

LAMP STANDARD Filed Jan. 19, 1953 Patented Sept. 19, 1933 UNITED. STATESPATENT OFFICE j LAMP STANDARD James H. Boye, Chicago, Ill. ApplicationJanuary 19, 1933. Serial No. 652,512 12 Claims. (01. 240-41) Thisinvention relatesto the art of electric floor lamps, and has referencemoreparticularly to a new and improved standard or stem structure forsuch lamps.

Electric floor lamps commonly comprise three main parts,-a base in theform of a broad heavy casting to afford stability, a standardior stemcomprising a section'of gas pipe for the passage of the cord, sheathedin and concealed by ornamental spindle sections and breaks strungthereon, and a cluster head mounted on the upper end of the standard andcarrying a cluster of lights.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, in the manufacture of the standard thespindle members of the sheathing or covering have comprised sectionsofsheet metal tubing of somewhat larger internal diameter thantheexternal diameter of the cord conductor pipe, and the so-called breakshave consisted of hollow castings with openings in their ends also ofsomewhat larger diameter than the conductor pipe for the free passage ofthe latter 'therethrough. Usually shallow cup-shaped seating washers areinter posed between the meeting ends of the spindle sections and thebreaks.

In the manufacture of the break castings, which is usually performed bywhat is known as the fslush mold-"method (a method wherein the moltenmetal is poured into the upper or run end of the moldandallowed toharden on the internal walls of the mold, and the surplus is then pouredout through the run end by inverting themold) the end walls of thecasting are rough and rarely lie in planes normal or at right angles tothe axis of the casting. In other words, they are more'or less slantingto the axis. Then, too, the ends of the spindle sections are'sometimesout not perfectly normal 'to their axes but slightly slanting. Theresult is, that when the spindle sections and breaks are tightenedendwise by nuts on the ends of the conductor pipe, a lateral slip occursbetween the spindle sections or their seating washers and the breaks,throwing them out of true alignment, and making aramshackle'andunsightly job. Furthermore, under the above describedconditions, when the clamping pressure is applied, the compression isnot distributed uniformly throughout the walls of the thin sheet metalspindle sections, with the result that" they will spring, bow-or crackto a greater or lessextent, since they are not internally'bracedagainstthe central'conductor pipe. This, too, gives the standard a crooked andugly appearance.

The principal object of the present invention is 5-;

to produce a lamp standard structure of the general character aboveoutlined which will be entirely free from the faults and defects aboveenumerated, and in which the elements of the covering or sheathing willalways be'maintained rigidly in perfect axial alignment and straightthroughout. This object is mainly accomplished according to my presentinvention, through the provision of a hollow break casting having rigidwith both ends thereof spindle seating members so formed as to hold theends of spindles engaged therewith against lateral displacementrelatively thereto and formed with holes adapted to have a sliding fiton a cord tube; and, in the preferred form of the invention, throughtheadditional use of braces within the spindle sectionsthemselves whichserve to prevent lateral displacement or bending, bowing or cracking ofthe latter relatively to the cord tube."

'Referring to the accompanying drawing, in

which I have illustrated one practical embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a vertical axialsection through'the lamp standard broken offat its ends, my present improvements. l Fig. 2 is an. enlarged verticalsection through one of the cast metal breaks and adjacent portions ofthe spindle sections engaged. therewith.

embodying Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 33 of 5Fig.i2,looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. V Fig. 4is anisolated perspective detail of a spindle seating'cap .that is rigidlysecured in one end of the break casting during and-by the moldingoperation I s I Referringto the drawing, 10 designates a central cordconductor pipe, usually a section of gas pipe, forming the mainstrength-giving element of thestandard. This pipe is an element commonto practically alllamp standards of the type to which the presentinvention relates. The pipe is sheathed and con'c'ealedby an ornamentalcovering comprising, in the present instance, alternating tubularspindle sections 11 and hollow white metal castings 12 commonly known inthe trade as breaks.

These break castings are usually made by the slush mold methodhereinabove briefly outlined. In the casting operation as practicedprior to my present invention, the lower end of the mold is closed by aninserted plug which forms a bottom wall of the mold and, of course,affords a bottom wall to the casting. After the metal has been pouredand allowed to stand long enough to form a hardened shell on theinternal walls of the mold, the latter is inverted, and the balance ofthe molten metal flows out through the upper open'or run end of the moldand the filling funnel,, leaving a sprue which is cut off. This leaves ahole in the upper end wall of the casting, and a hole is then cut in thebottom wall of the casting, these holes being for the passage of thepipe 10. As heretofore made, the holes in the end walls are more or lessirregular lop-sided, and eccentric, and have no true sliding fit on thepipe 10.

In making the break casting of my invention, I first form a pressedsheet metal spindle seating and centering member or cap which is bestshown in isolated detail in Fig. 4 and is designated as an entirety by13. In the preferred form of this cap, the same has an outer upstandingmarginal flange 14 that forms the outer wall of a spindle seating grooveor channel 15, a central upstanding tapered and shouldered protuberanceor boss 16 that forms the inner wall of the groove or channel 15, and atransversely rounded and convex annular extension 17 of the boss 16 thatconstitutes the margin of a central hole or mouth 18 that is of a sizeto have a sliding fit on the pipe 10. The upper outwardly flaringportion of this annular extension 1'7 forms a lip or flange 19 that isgripped between suit- 1 able holding members on the mating sections ofthe mold during the molding operation.

Before pouring the metal into the mold, the opposite end of the latteris closed by a plug having on its face a concave annular groove orcountersink which forms in the end wall of e dle section 11.

the casting a convex or tapered annular boss 20, and between the latterand the peripheral wall of said end a seating groove or channel 21similar to the groove 15 of cap 13 for the end of a spin- The portion ofthe end wall surrounded by the boss 20 is removed to forma hole 22 ofthe same size as, and registering with, the mouth 18 of the pressedmetal cap 13.

In the molding operation the metal flows not a only around theperipheral flange 14 of the cap 13, but also over the under surface ofthe boss 16, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, whereby the cap 13 is rigidlyembedded and locked within the run end of the casting. I have found thatby giving to the wall 1'7 of the mouth 18 the transversely convex andflaring form shown and described, the metal that is flowed out throughthe mouth 18,comes clean and without leaving a sprue on the mouth, whichotherwise would require; removal for the passage of the pipe 10.

centers the spindle sections 11 relatively to the ends of the breakcastings, but prevents any relative lateral displacement of the spindlesections and breaks, when they are clamped endwise on the rod 10, andmaintains the integrity, solidity and uniform appearance of theassembled sectional sheathing.

With a view to obviating any bending or bowing of the spindle sectionsthemselves under the end clamping pressure, I preferably employ inconnection with each spindle section one or more intermediate braceswhich may take the form of metal caps 23, that have a snug sliding fitin the spindle sections and the transverse walls of which are aperturedto have a similar fit on the pipe 10. Manifestly, these brace members 23also cooperate with the caps 13 and the bottom end walls of the breakcastings in maintaining the axial coincidence of the pipe and itssheathing throughout the full length of the standard, and providing astrong and rugged structure the component parts of which'cannot go askewin the handling of the lamp.

I claim: l

1. As an element of a floor lamp standard, a 100 hollow casting havingrigidly mounted in an end thereof a sheet metal spindle seating memberso formed as to hold the end of a spindle section engaged therewithagainst lateral displacement relatively thereto.

2. As an element of a floor lamp standard, a hollow casting havingrigidly. mountedin an end thereof a sheet metal spindle seating memberformed with an annular groove in its outer face adapted to engage withthe end of a spindle section and support the latter against lateraldisplacement relatively to said casting.

3. As an element of a fioor lamp standard, a hollow casting havingembedded and locked in an end thereof a sheet metal spindle seatingmember formed with a central apertured boss and an annular groove in itsouter face encircling said boss and adapted to engage with the end of aspindle section.

4. As an element of a floor lamp standard, a 120 hollow casting havingembedded and locked in an end thereof a sheet metal spindle seatingmember formed with a tapered apertured spindle-centering boss and anannular groove in its outer face encircling said boss and adapted toengage with the endof a spindle section.

5. As an element of a floor lamp standard, a hollow slush mold castinghaving rigidly mounted in the run end thereof a pressed metal spindleseating member so formed as to hold the end of a spindle section engagedtherewith against lateral displacement relatively thereto. 7

6. As an element of a fioorlamp standard, a hollow slush mold castinghaving embedded in the run end thereof a pressed metal spindle seatingmember formed with an annular groove in its outer face adapted to engagewith the end of a spindle section and support the latter against lateraldisplacement relatively to said casting.

'7. As, an element of a floor lamp standard, a hollow casting havingrigid with the ends thereof rigid spindleseating members so formed as tohold the ends of spindlesections engaged therewith against lateraldisplacement relatively thereto, said seating members formed with holesadapted to have a sliding fit on a cord tube.

8. As an element of a floor lamp standard, a hollow slush mold castinghaving at one end thereof an integral wall formed with an annular 1 mgroove in its outer face adapted to engage with the end of a spindlesection and having embedded in the run end thereof a pressed metalseating member formed in its outer face with an annular groove adaptedto similarly engage with the end of a spindle section.

9. As an element of a floor lamp standard, a hollow casting havingrigidly mounted in an end thereof a pressed metal spindle seating memberformed with an annular groove in its outer side to engage with the endof a spindle section and support the latter against lateral displacementrelatively to said casting, the outer edge of said member beingsubstantially flush with the end of said casting, whereby to strengthenthe walls of the latter at said end.

10. As an element of a floor lamp standard, a hollow slush mold castinghaving rigidly mounted in the run end thereof a pressed metal cap formedwith an annular groove to seat and center a spindle section and with acentral hole formed with a transversely rounded convex bounding wall.

11. As an element of a fioorlamp standard, a hollow slush mold castinghaving embedded and locked in the run end thereof a pressed metal capformed with an annular groove to seat and center a spindle section andwith a central hole formed with a transversely rounded convex boundingwall terminating in an outwardly flaring lip or flange.

12. A floor lamp standard, comprising, in combination, a central cordconductor pipe, a plurality of tubular sheet metal spindle sections andcast metal breaks strung end to end in alternating relation on said pipeand forming a sheathing for the latter, said spindle sections and breaksbeing of greater internal diameter than the external diameter of saidpipe, annular braces between said spindle sections and said pipe, andannular braces rigid with the ends of said breaks and having a slidingfit on said pipe.

JAMES H. BOYE.

